Very positive response from MP

[Popchyk]

I wrote to an email to my Conservative MP yesterday.

Received a letter in the post from the House of Commons this morning. My heart was racing. I thought I'd be summoned to the chambers for wrongthink.

Turns out he agrees with me. He is "extremely concerned" about any changes to the law that allows people to self-identify as the other sex. He is particularly concerned about the safety of women and talked about vulnerable women in prisons and shelters. Also talked about women's sports (which I didn't even address with him).

Also said that he was worried about young people under pressure to identify as transgender.

He said "Should these proposed amendments to the GRA be brought forward, I will not support them".

I won't name him as I don't want the TRAs to hound his office.

But clearly there are some people out there who think exactly the same way we do.

That is excellent news. Hopefully he raises these concerns with his colleagues too.

Could do with some good news. Thanks.

I've also finally had a response from my conservative MP. Not as positive as that, but did say that gender and sex are different and that sex can't be changed. Also that Trans Health are a far left group and that he does not support their manifesto.

It would be good to know whether this a male Tory MP other than David TC Davies, who is already ‘out’ as gender critical.

My MP is not David TC Davies.

I don't think my MP is "out" as gender critical. I've googled and can't find anything of that nature.

But I suspect that he might be soon.

That's wonderful news

Great news!

I think that there are a lot of MPs who do agree with a GC viewpoint, and hope that's why my labour MP is ignoring my letters rather than responding with the standard "pipe down, bigot" response.

It's nice that the message about the potential impact on women and girls is being heard. And that's what this is all about, not being anti-trans, being pro women.

Brilliant news.

Excellent news.

I have just emailed my MP to ask him his views on changes to the GRA.

Fantastic. Mine has ignored me but as he is Labour I think that is better than the party line!

This is just the kind of news we need. It's another thing that's giving me hope we will beat this cult.

Very hopeful. Possibly a significant number feel the same way, and are just keeping their heads below the parapet to avoid being torn to pieces?

My Conservative MP has not replied to my letter.

You may wish to follow up with concerns about the recent assertions that Penny Mordant MP has made.

As she is the Women's & Equalities minister, it is difficult not to conclude that she is not as open to recognising the issues for women and girls when asserting the needs of people who are transgender.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3283616-Penny-Mordaunt-has-made-her-position-at-Women-Equalities-Committee

See previous position held by Maria Miller MP when she was minister for Women & Equalities:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/2993425-Maria-Miller-interviewed-by-Janice-Turner-full-text

I went to see my MP about this last month Wera Hobson in Bath. She listened to me but was non-committal. She said she has a transgender friend.I suggested she include in her new upskirting bill a crime of taking photos from an adjacent changing room but I don't know if she did.

That's great news.

My MP is a fairly 'prominent' Tory who is in the Cabinet. I will write to him to ask his views.

It shouldn't matter where the camera is, though, should it? Upskirting is upskirting, no matter where the creep is with his camera.

Hollow I don't think that's the point. The point is additionally taking photos of someone in a cubicle (changing or toilet) should be illegal, especially as things are becoming unisex.

Terfulike
I have found it difficult when talking to someone who has a close friend who is transgender to get them to step back slightly and consider for example the impact on girls or women.

this is a good example which may help someone to also consider the needs of women:
inews.co.uk/news/health/nhs-woman-transgender-nurse-smear-test/

and I think Janice Turner's recent question really focuses on the need to think of the girls:,
'Two male-bodied trans gender runners came first and second. What do you say to the girls who train so hard but can never win? Yet can’t even say: this is not fair.'
twitter.com/VictoriaPeckham/status/1004682774920523776

It's really worth watching the clip to the end. Focus on the faces of the girls who come 3rd, 4th & 5th.

You can see by the response to the tweet that this is understood by many people.

Just emailed my MP, as been meaning to for a while, lets hope I get a response. Let's just say, it will be very interesting given his position in Government....

How does having a transgender friend justify rolling back women's rights?
I do not get it. It is so effing Not my NIGEL.
(NIcest Guy who Ever Lived)
They are all self proclaimed nice guys, until hey are not and then it is too late.

I think if you are having difficulty getting the MPs to respond then maybe write back with a specific question. Like:

Are you in favour of allowing male convicted sex offenders to self-identify as women in order to transfer to women's prisons to serve their sentence?

If so, is that the position of the party?

Not because they will answer that question of course, but because it should trigger in their minds how they could answer that question when Andrew Marr or whoever asks it live on TV.

Unfortunately with a lot of MPs we are going to have to appeal to their self-interest in order to get them to educate themselves about the issues. We are going to have to lead the leaders.

thebewilderness
I had a recent conversation with a HCP re my concerns about the conflicting rights in the case of the reported smear test above.

They had a close friend who was a transwoman and it was so strange as they clearly couldn't re-focus on the wider picture and kept asserting some of the TRAs positions we have heard here.

By contrast, I spoke to another friend who is a nurse who screamed when i read the response of the transexual nurse above. She was horrified and imediately said how outrageous this was since in nursing the focus is on the patient. That they often have men (usually older) who are uncomfortable with female nurses in some intimate situations. They (of course) notice this and discreetly try to find an alternative colleague.

My friend also spoke very warmly of her nursing colleague, a trans woman, who is completely respectful and understanding of all patients' needs. She also doesn't use the staff women's loos, changing rooms etc.

Empathy is so important in nursing!

I emailed my MP today and - to his credit, he responded quickly but I suspect that the email was from an assistant and not really him with the following:

"Thank you for contacting me recently about gender identity and the Gender Recognition Act. This is an important issue that many people in [name of place redacted] have contacted me about.

As you will know, last summer, the Government announced plans to consult on the Gender Recognition Act and to consider removing the need for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria before being able to apply for gender recognition, as well as options for reducing the length and intrusiveness of the gender recognition system.

I have some concerns about the proposed changes and the impact they could have on women-only spaces. However, under the Equality Act 2010, anyone who identifies themselves as a particular gender - whether that is their legal status or not - can already use separate-sex facilities such as changing rooms, toilets or single-sex gyms unless service providers can demonstrate a justifiable reason for treating people differently.

I am fully committed to equality for all and to protecting transgender people from discrimination. For the trans community in particular, I believe more needs to be done to ensure people feel as though the UK is a country in which identity is respected and supported.

I therefore believe that the Gender Recognition Act 2004 and Equality Act 2010 should be reformed to ensure they protect trans people by changing the protected characteristic of 'gender assignment' to 'gender identity'. I would also like to see other outdated language such as 'transsexual' removed.

The Government has said that it recognises the wide range of views on reforming the Gender Recognition Act and has emphasised that it will encourage women's refuges, women's rights charities and trans rights charities to respond to the consultation when it is launched. It is right that representations from all interested parties are taken into account and I hope that all views will be carefully considered as part of the consultation process.

Thank you once again for contacting me - reflecting on the Gender Recognition Act has certainly given me pause for thought."

I wrote back to tell him that, based on his response, I would not be voting for him.